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"The Most Delicate Mission On Earth" by Oswald Chambers
The friend of the Bridegroom.[John 3:29]
Goodness and purity ought never to attract attention to themselves, they ought simply to be magnets to draw to Jesus Christ. If my holiness is not drawing towards Him, it is not holiness of the right order, but an influence that will awaken inordinate affection and lead souls away into side-eddies. A beautiful saint may be a hindrance if he does not present Jesus Christ but only what Christ has done for him; he will leave the impression — “What a fine character that man is!” — that is not being a true friend of the Bridegroom; I am increasing all the time, He is not.
In order to maintain this friendship and loyalty to the Bridegroom, we have to be more careful of our moral and vital relationship to Him than of any other thing, even of obedience. Sometimes there is nothing to obey, the only thing to do is to maintain a vital connection with Jesus Christ, to see that nothing interferes with that. Only occasionally do we have to obey. When a crisis arises we have to find out what God’s will is, but the greater part of the life is not conscious obedience but the maintenance of this relationship — the friend of the Bridegroom. Christian work may be a means of evading the soul’s concentration on Jesus Christ. Instead of being friends of the Bridegroom, we may become amateur providences, and may work against Him whilst we use His weapons.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The root of faith is the knowledge of a Person, and one of the biggest snares is the idea that God is sure to lead us to success.[My Utmost for His Highest, March 19, 761 L]
Bible in One Year: Joshua 19-21; Luke 2:25-52
Joshua 19:1 The second lot came out for Shim‘on, for the tribe of the descendants of Shim‘on according to their families. Their inheritance was inside the inheritance of the descendants of Y’hudah. 2 For their inheritance they had Be’er-Sheva, Sheva, Moladah, 3 Hatzar-Shu‘al, Balah, ‘Etzem, 4 El-Tolad, B’tul, Hormah, 5 Ziklag, Beit-Markavot, Hatzar-Susah, 6 Beit-L’va’ot and Sharuchen — thirteen cities, together with their villages; 7 ‘Ayin, Rimmon, ‘Eter and ‘Ashan — four cities, together with their villages; 8 and all the villages surrounding these cities, as far as Ba‘alat-Be’er, Ramah of the Negev. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Shim‘on according to their families. 9 The inheritance of the descendants of Shim‘on was taken out of the allotment for the descendants of Y’hudah, because the portion given to the descendants of Y’hudah was too much for them, so the descendants of Shim‘on had an inheritance inside the descendants of Y’hudah.
10 The third lot came up for the descendants of Z’vulun according to their families. The border of their inheritance began at Sarid. 11 Then their border went up westward to Mar‘alah, extended to Dabeshet and on to the vadi fronting Yokne‘am. 12 Also from Sarid it turned toward the sunrise to the east to the border of Kislot-Tavor, went on to Dovrat and up to Yafia. 13 From there it passed eastward to Gat-Hefer, on to ‘Et-Katzin, went out at Rimmon and reached to Ne‘ah. 14 Then the border turned on the north side to Hanaton, ending in the Yiftach’el Valley. 15 Also Katat, Nahalal, Shimron, Yid’alah and Beit-Lechem — twelve cities, together with their villages. 16 This is the inheritance of the descendants of Z’vulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.
17 The fourth lot came out for Yissakhar, for the descendants of Yissakhar according to their families. 18 Their territory included Yizre‘el, K’sulot, Shunem, 19 Hafarayim, Shi’on, Anacharat, 20 Rabit, Kishyon, Evetz, 21 Remet, ‘Ein-Ganim, ‘Ein-Hadah and Beit-Patzetz. 22 Their territory extended to Tavor, Shachatzimah and Beit-Shemesh; and their territory ended at the Yarden — sixteen cities, together with their villages. 23 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Yissakhar according to their families, the cities, with their villages.
24 The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the descendants of Asher according to their families. 25 Their territory included Helkat, Hali, Beten, Akhshaf, 26 Alamelekh, ‘Am‘ad and Mish’al. It extended to the Karmel on the west and to Shichor-Livnat. 27 The border turned eastward to Beit-Dagon, reached to Z’vulun and the Yiftach’el Valley on its north, then Beit-‘Emek and Ne‘i’el, went out to Kavul on the left, 28 then ‘Evron, Rechov, Hamon, Kanah and on to greater Tzidon. 29 The border turned toward Ramah and the fortified city of Tzor; next the border turned to Hosah; and it ended at the sea from Hevel to Akhziv. 30 Also included were ‘Umah, Afek and Rechov — twenty cities, together with their villages. 31 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages.
32 The sixth lot came out for the descendants of Naftali, for the descendants of Naftali according to their families. 33 Their border went from Helef and the oak in Tza‘ananim, included Adami-Nekev and Yavne’el, went on to Lakum and ended at the Yarden. 34 Westward the border turned to Aznot-Tavor and went out from there to Hukok, reaching to Z’vulun on the south, Asher on the west and Y’hudah at the Yarden toward the east. 35 The fortified cities were Tzidim, Tzer, Hamat, Rakat, Kinneret, 36 Adamah, Ramah, Hatzor, 37 Kedesh, Edre‘i, ‘Ein-Hatzor, 38 Yir’on, Migdal-El, Horem, Beit-‘Anat and Beit-Shemesh — nineteen cities, together with their villages. 39 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Naftali according to their families, the cities with their villages.
40 The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the descendants of Dan according to their families. 41 The territory of their inheritance included Tzor‘ah, Eshta’ol, ‘Ir-Shemesh, 42 Sha‘alabin, Ayalon, Yitlah, 43 Eilon, Timnah, ‘Ekron, 44 Elt’keh, Gib’ton, Ba‘alat, 45 Y’hud, B’nei-Brak, Gat-Rimmon, 46 Yarkon Springs and Rakon, with the border fronting Yafo. 47 The territory of the descendants of Dan was too small for them, so the descendants of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, captured it, defeated it by the sword, took possession of it and lived there, calling Leshem “Dan” after Dan their ancestor. 48 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.
49 When they had finished distributing the land for inheritance according to its borders, the people of Isra’el gave an inheritance within their territory to Y’hoshua the son of Nun. 50 According to Adonai’s order they gave him the city he had asked for, Timnat-Serach in the hills of Efrayim; so he built up the city and lived in it.
51 These are the inheritances which El‘azar the cohen, Y’hoshua the son of Nun and the leaders of the ancestral clans of the tribes of the people of Isra’el distributed for inheritance by lot in Shiloh before Adonai at the door of the tent of meeting. Thus they finished dividing up the land.
20:1 Adonai said to Y’hoshua, 2 “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘Select the cities of refuge about which I spoke to you through Moshe; 3 so that anyone who kills someone by mistake and unknowingly may escape there; they will serve as refuges for you from the next-of-kin avenger. 4 He is to flee to one of those cities, stand at the entrance to the city gate and state his cause to the city leaders. Then they will bring him into the city with them and give him a place, so that he may live among them. 5 If the next-of-kin avenger pursues him, they are not to hand over the killer to him; because he struck his fellow community member unknowingly and had not hated him previously. 6 So he will live in that city until he stands trial before the community, until the death of the cohen hagadol who is in office at the time. When that time comes, the killer may return to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled.’”
7 So they set apart Kedesh in the Galil, in the hills of Naftali; Sh’khem in the hills of Efrayim; and Kiryat-Arba (that is, Hevron) in the hills of Y’hudah. 8 Beyond the Yarden east of Yericho they selected Betzer in the desert, on the plateau, out of the tribe of Re’uven; Ramot in Gil‘ad out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of M’nasheh.
9 These were the cities selected for all the people of Isra’el and for the foreigner living among them, so that anyone who kills any person by mistake could flee there and not die at the hand of the next-of-kin avenger prior to standing trial before the community.
21:1 Then the leaders of the ancestral clans of the L’vi’im approached El‘azar the cohen, Y’hoshua the son of Nun and the leaders of the ancestral clans of the tribes of the people of Isra’el. 2 It was at Shiloh in the land of Kena‘an that they spoke to them; they said, “Adonai ordered through Moshe that we be given cities to live in, with the surrounding open land for our livestock.” 3 So out of their inheritance the people of Isra’el gave the L’vi’im the following cities with the surrounding open land:
4 The lot came out for the families of the K’hati. The descendants of Aharon the cohen, who were of the L’vi’im, received by lot thirteen cities from the tribes of Y’hudah, Shim‘on and Binyamin. 5 The rest of the descendants of K’hat received by lot ten cities from the families of the tribes of Efrayim and Dan and the half-tribe of M’nasheh. 6 The descendants of Gershon received by lot thirteen cities from the families of the tribes of Yissakhar, Asher, Naftali and the half-tribe of M’nasheh in Bashan. 7 The descendants of M’rari according to their families received twelve cities from the tribes of Re’uven, Gad and Z’vulun. 8 The people of Isra’el gave by lot to the L’vi’im these cities with the surrounding open land, as Adonai had ordered through Moshe.
9 They gave from the tribe of the descendants of Y’hudah and from the tribe of the descendants of Shim‘on these cities here mentioned by name; 10 they were for the descendants of Aharon, of the families of the K’hati, who were among the descendants of Levi; because theirs was the first lot. 11 They gave them: Kiryat-Arba — this Arba was the father of ‘Anak — (that is, Hevron), in the hills of Y’hudah, with the surrounding open land; 12 but the fields and villages of the city they gave to Kalev the son of Y’funeh as his possession. 13 Thus to the descendants of Aharon the cohen they gave: Hevron with its surrounding open land, already a city of refuge for the killer; Livnah with its surrounding open land; 14 Yatir with its surrounding open land; Esht’moa with its surrounding open land; 15 Holon with its surrounding open land; D’vir with its surrounding open land; 16 ‘Ayin with its surrounding open land, Yutah with its surrounding open land and Beit-Shemesh with its surrounding open land — nine cities out of these two tribes. 17 Out of the tribe of Binyamin: Giv‘on with its surrounding open land, Geva with its surrounding open land, 18 ‘Anatot with its surrounding open land and ‘Almon with its surrounding open land — four cities. 19 All the cities of the descendants of Aharon, the cohanim, numbered thirteen cities with their surrounding open land.
20 The families of the descendants of K’hat, who were L’vi’im, that is, the rest of the descendants of K’hat, received the cities of their lot. Out of the tribe of Efrayim 21 they gave them: Sh’khem with its surrounding open land, in the hills of Efrayim, the city of refuge for the killer; Gezer with its surrounding open land; 22 Kivtzayim with its surrounding open land and Beit-Horon with its surrounding open land — four cities. 23 Out of the tribe of Dan: Elt’ke with its surrounding open land, Gib’ton with its surrounding open land, 24 Ayalon with its surrounding open land and Gat-Rimmon with its surrounding open land — four cities. 25 Out of the half-tribe of M’nasheh: Ta‘nakh with its surrounding open land and Gat-Rimmon with its surrounding open land — two cities. 26 All the cities of the families of the rest of the descendants of K’hat numbered ten with their surrounding open land.
27 To the descendants of Gershon, of the families of the L’vi’im, out of the half-tribe of M’nasheh they gave: Golan in Bashan with its surrounding open land, the city of refuge for the killer; and B’esht’rah with its surrounding open land — two cities. 28 Out of the tribe of Yissakhar: Kishyon with its surrounding open land, Dovrat with its surrounding open land, 29 Yarmut with its surrounding open land and ‘Ein-Ganim with its surrounding open land — four cities. 30 Out of the tribe of Asher: Mishal with its surrounding open land, ‘Avdon with its surrounding open land, 31 Helkat with its surrounding open land and Rechov with its surrounding open land — four cities. 32 Out of the tribe of Naftali: Kedesh in the Galil with its surrounding open land, the city of refuge for the killer; Hammot-Dor with its surrounding open land; and Kartan with its surrounding open land — three cities. 33 All the cities of the Gershuni according to their families were thirteen cities with their surrounding open land.
34 To the families of the descendants of M’rari, the rest of the L’vi’im, out of the tribe of Z’vulun: Yokne‘am with its surrounding open land, Kartah with its surrounding open land, 35 Dimnah with its surrounding open land and Nahalal with its surrounding open land — four cities. {(36) Out of the tribe of Re’uven: Betzer with its surrounding open land, Yachtzah with its surrounding open land, (37) K’demot with its surrounding open land and Mefa‘at with its surrounding open land — four cities.}* 36 (38) Out of the tribe of Gad: Ramot in Gil‘ad with its surrounding open land, the city of refuge for the killer; Machanayim with its surrounding open land; 37 (39) Heshbon with its surrounding open land and Ya‘zer with its surrounding open land — four cities in all. 38 (40) All these were the cities of the descendants of M’rari according to their families, the rest of the families of the L’vi’im; their lot totaled twelve cities.
39 (41) All the cities of the L’vi’im, forty-eight cities with their surrounding open land, are to be in among the lands possessed by the people of Isra’el — 40 (42) these cities, each with its surrounding open land; thus is it to be with all these cities.
41 (43) So Adonai gave Isra’el all the land which he swore to give to their ancestors, and they took possession of it and lived in it. 42 (44) Then Adonai gave them rest all around, according to everything he had sworn to their ancestors. Not a man from all their enemies stood against them; Adonai handed all their enemies over to them. 43 (45) Not one good thing that Adonai had spoken of to the household of Isra’el failed to happen; it all took place.
Luke 2:25 There was in Yerushalayim a man named Shim‘on. This man was a tzaddik, he was devout, he waited eagerly for God to comfort Isra’el, and the Ruach HaKodesh was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Ruach HaKodesh that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah of Adonai. 27 Prompted by the Spirit, he went into the Temple courts; and when the parents brought in the child Yeshua to do for him what the Torah required, 28 Shim‘on took him in his arms, made a b’rakhah to God, and said,
29 “Now, Adonai, according to your word,
your servant is at peace as you let him go;
30 for I have seen with my own eyes your yeshu‘ah,
31 which you prepared in the presence of all peoples —
32 a light that will bring revelation to the Goyim
and glory to your people Isra’el.”
33 Yeshua’s father and mother were marvelling at the things Shim‘on was saying about him. 34 Shim‘on blessed them and said to the child’s mother, Miryam,
“This child will cause many in Isra’el to fall and to rise,
he will become a sign whom people will speak against;
35 moreover, a sword will pierce your own heart too.
All this will happen in order to reveal many people’s inmost thoughts.”
36 There was also a prophet named Hannah Bat-P’nu’el, of the tribe of Asher. She was a very old woman — she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage 37 and had remained a widow ever since; now she was eighty-four. She never left the Temple grounds but worshipped there night and day, fasting and praying. 38 She came by at that moment and began thanking God and speaking about the child to everyone who was waiting for Yerushalayim to be liberated.
39 When Yosef and Miryam had finished doing everything required by the Torah of Adonai, they returned to the Galil, to their town Natzeret.
40 The child grew and became strong and filled with wisdom — God’s favor was upon him.
41 Every year Yeshua’s parents went to Yerushalayim for the festival of Pesach. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up for the festival, as custom required. 43 But after the festival was over, when his parents returned, Yeshua remained in Yerushalayim. They didn’t realize this; 44 supposing that he was somewhere in the caravan, they spent a whole day on the road before they began searching for him among their relatives and friends. 45 Failing to find him, they returned to Yerushalayim to look for him. 46 On the third day they found him — he was sitting in the Temple court among the rabbis, not only listening to them but questioning what they said; 47 and everyone who heard him was astonished at his insight and his responses. 48 When his parents saw him, they were shocked; and his mother said to him, “Son! Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried looking for you!” 49 He said to them, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be concerning myself with my Father’s affairs?” 50 But they didn’t understand what he meant.
51 So he went with them to Natzeret and was obedient to them. But his mother stored up all these things in her heart.
52 And Yeshua grew both in wisdom and in stature, gaining favor both with other people and with God.
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